Alpha Centauran
thumb|Emblem of the Alpha Centaurans. The Alpha Centaurans, also known simply as Centaurans or Centaurians, were the native humanoid species of the planet Alpha Centauri VII, or as they called it "Al Rijil". By at least the 2360s, their total populace had reached 21 billion, second only to the Sol system. Delthara University Complex is located on the northernmost continent. ( , et al.) Appearance Centaurians appeared identical to Humans, bearing a specific resemblance to those native to Greece or Italy. Federation scientists found evidence this was because the population was descended from a group of Terran Greeks who had been transplanted from Earth in the 3rd century BC. ( , ) There were, however, some minor physiological differences, such as an extra joint in the Centaurans' little finger, and a patterning of capillaries in the skin that resulted in a hexagonal effect when their faces became flushed. ( }}) History In the 17th century, the warlord Zalar Mag'nees established an educational system to bring her world's greatest minds to the question of how to best wage war. The entire planet was eventually united under her rule, but even in peace, the Centaurans maintained a mindset of defensiveness, leading them to conceal much of the advancements of their society. ( }}) The Earth ship made first contact with the Centaurans on reference stardate 0/48. ( ) At some point, it became a controversy for an Earth Human to consort with a Centaurian. When J.M. Ford wrote , he included a passage about language as it pertained to translations in that volume. He included an explanation about the inaccuracy of translating the klingonaase word kuve as "slave", as he preferred the term "servitor." He felt that the translation as "slave" would be inflammatory, citing similar examples from earth history such as "filthy Ghibelline" or "Centaurian lover." ( |The Final Reflection}}) In 2376, Gothmara intended to infect Alpha Centaurans with a viral biological weapon. Her efforts were stopped with the destruction of the . ( Book Two}}) Mirror universe In the mirror universe, the Centaurans, a defeated and broken race, were subjects of the Terran Empire. Native to , the Centaurans were conquered by Humans in 2074 and enslaved en masse, shipped off to the empire's many slave markets. Even a century or two later, Centaurans continued to make up one of the largest pools of slaves in the empire's auction houses. What's more, they were completely decultured and knew little to nothing of their heritage. Nevertheless, a few Centaurans, even during the peak of the Terran Empire's supremacy, managed to keep their traditions alive. During conquest, a small number escaped their homeworld in seized Terran vessels. Traversing the quadrant as stateless aliens, one descendant of those who escaped was the infamous pirate Gan Leikan, who used captured Terrans in her art-murder performances. ( ) Known Centaurans * Zella Rancine * Zalan Wilforth Appendices Background There have been numerous portrayals of human(oid) life in the Alpha Centauri system over the years, many of them irreconcilable. Prior to the release of Star Trek: First Contact, many sources assumed Zefram Cochrane was a human-like native of Alpha Centauri (based on the line from the }}), but in works since, it is more commonly held that the Centaurians are Earth colonists and their descendants, rather than an indigenous race. category:humanoid species category:races and cultures category:beta Quadrant races and cultures category:federation races and cultures category:human cultures category:mirror universe races and cultures category:terran Empire races and cultures